AUSTERE PATTERN # 1

I have always been fascinated by visual patterns especially when they are revealed in nature. This photograph was taken in the heart of the Drakensberg Mountain near Cathedral Peak . It was late winter and the countryside was austere and dry, eagerly awaiting the summer rains.

Early one morning I spotted a small cluster of trees a few kilometers off the main road, the light was not great so I decided to wait until the next day to take photographs. Early that afternoon an extensive area of bush veld had caught fire, bellowing smoke into the air. The smoke diffused the light beautifully and by three o’clock that afternoon the light was at its best. I headed back to the cluster of trees not really sure what to expect. To my frustration, I couldn’t find an exciting composition. The fire had devastated most of the bush around the thicket of trees making it impossible to create a composition without including the burnt areas in the background. After an hour and a half without success I looked up and spotted some wonderful patterns in the canopy of the trees. The smoke muted the blue in the sky creating a sketch type contrast against the branches and leaves.

I think that this picture in particular bears testimony to the fact that there are pictures everywhere, one just has to patient and keep on looking.